1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13 is the chapter in which King Saul's reign unfolds in earnest. After Samuel concludes his farewell address in 1 Samuel 12, war between Israel and the Philistines breaks out in this chapter.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Saul chooses three thousand men, stationing two thousand with himself in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. When Jonathan strikes the Philistine garrison at Geba, the people gather to Saul at Gilgal.
• Verses 5–7 The Philistines encamp at Michmash with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and a great army. The Israelites hide in caves and among the rocks, or flee across the Jordan.
• Verses 8–12 Saul waits the seven days Samuel had appointed, but when Samuel does not come and the people begin to scatter, Saul offers the burnt offering himself. As soon as he finishes, Samuel arrives, and Saul explains that he felt compelled to act.
• Verses 13–15 Samuel tells Saul that he has not kept the commandment of the LORD, that his kingdom will not continue, and that the LORD has sought a man after his own heart. About six hundred men remain with Saul.
• Verses 16–18 Philistine raiders go out in three companies, toward Ophrah, Beth-horon, and the valley of Zeboim.
• Verses 19–23 Because the Philistines allowed no smith in Israel, the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their farm tools, and on the day of battle only Saul and Jonathan had sword and spear.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 13:13 "Thou hast done foolishly" — the first pronouncement signaling the decline of Saul's kingship.
• 1 Samuel 13:14 "The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart" — understood as anticipating David, who appears later in the narrative.

Characters and Places

• Saul, Jonathan, Samuel
• Michmash The place where the Philistines encamped; it becomes the setting for the battle in chapter 14.
• Gilgal The place where the people of Israel gathered and where Saul offered the burnt offering.
• Geba and Gibeah Towns in the territory of Benjamin where the forces of Jonathan and Saul were stationed.

Points for Reflection

• The figures for Saul's age and length of reign in verse 1 are generally understood to be incompletely preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, so translations render the verse in different ways. Ancient manuscripts and versions are also known to differ on the number of chariots in verse 5 and on a word in verse 21.
• Interpretations differ as to what Saul's offense was. Some read it as disobedience in failing to wait for Samuel's instructions; others read it as the king's encroachment on the priestly office of officiating at sacrifice. The text itself says only that he did not keep the commandment.
• The expression "a man after his own heart" is used again in the New Testament in Acts 13:22, where Paul applies it to David. This chapter leads into the theme of obedience and sacrifice in 1 Samuel 15:23–24.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, this chapter is frequently cited in discussions of haste versus patient waiting in times of crisis, and of obedience.